Deloi
A former First turned Warden, Deloi is an elf who knows who he is and what he likes, and doesn't rightly care if others don't like it. Upbeat, kind and friendly to those he meets, Deloi is dedicated to the task of the Grey Wardens, and his experience in seeing it done has made him a respected member of his Order. Background Del and his family started off with the Oronis Dalish clan in Rivain, but a short time after his birth, Aldnon, Deloi's father and the man who taught him the rare arts of shapeshifting, decided to join the Serana clan as their new Keeper. Shortly after joining their clan, Aldnon decided that they should move towards Llomerynn and its surrounding areas. The trip from the Rivain-Antiva border was a costly one full of bandit raids and dealing with the general dislike that most humans feel for the Dalish. In the end, the clan lost many of its Hunters, several of its Elders, and Del's mother who was struck with an unknown illness. Her death was a long, painful process that left Aldnon a somewhat broken man. For the most part, Del was raised by the 'nicest old elven woman' you could ever meet; his words, not mine. After his mother's death, his father somewhat took to ignoring him in favor of trying to repair the damage he had done to the clan. Instead, Elva, the clan's healer and general conscience, took to looking after and teaching Deloi. It was from her that he learned the arts of herbalism and under her tutelage, he discovered his love for the forest and its creatures, particularly birds. Del absolutely adores birds! Eventually, around his ninth year or so, Deloi showed a sudden advent of magical power in the form of spontaneous healing and the appearance of random puddles of greasy slime or mild acids. This showed his natural talent for Creation magic and made it imperative that he be taught to control his gift as soon as possible. It also served to renew Aldnon's interest in his only child. Del learned quickly to the amazement of all who knew him. It wasn't that he was considered unintelligent or difficult to teach, but he was easily distracted, particularly by nature, and very energetic. In all honesty, these facets of his personality served to speed up his training. The magic he was being taught focused heavily on nature and its awesome power and his abundant reserves of energy allowed him to continue training long after his teacher was exhausted. He also turned out to have a very good eye for detail, a necessity when learning Creation magic. Eventually, his magical knowledge was so complete and his good, strong character so proved that his father named him as the clan's First. Elva cried that day for the first time since making the trip to Llomerynn, a fact that Del appreciated and has never forgotten. Sadly, the clan's happiness did not last long beyond this point... Tensions between the Serana clan and the humans of the surrounding region had been growing in intensity for some time. Llomerynn had not yet been designated as a safe harbor for the Dalish and a small group of humans did not take kindly to having to share their land with 'wild knife-ears'. Not wishing for further trouble or bloodshed, Aldnon decided to move the clan further towards the northern tip of the island upon which Llomerynn was located. Unbeknownst to the Dalish clan, they had moved into a piece of land with a single, concealed entrance into the Deep Roads. On their first night of camping there, a small band of darkspawn ventured from the cavern and attempted to raid the camp. They were repulsed thanks to the efforts of Aldnon and Deloi and a small band of Hunters with a minimal loss of life. Fearing further attack, Del's father decided to take a large team of Hunters with him to investigate the entrance and kill off any darkspawn they could find. Three days passed with no word from the Keeper or his Hunters... On the fourth day, just as Deloi had decided to enter the caverns himself, a wave of the foul creatures attempted to invade the camp. They were held at bay thanks to a number of wards created by Del and the handful of Hunters he had been left with. The clan might have survived the attack had it not been for the appearance of a darkspawn emissary bearing the keeper's staff. The darkspawn mage tore Del's wards to pieces allowing the horde of creatures to fall upon the entirety of the clan. Del and the Hunters did what they could, but they were easily overwhelmed. As the creatures began slaughtering everything in their path, Deloi ordered a full retreat. The Hunters dispersed to try to save all they could, but it was to little avail. The camp had been surrounded after all, so the chance of anyone escaping were slim. Del moved to look for Elva, though. If he could save anyone, it would be her. By the time he managed to find her through all of the chaos though... He was only barely able to recognize her bloody form due to what was left of her clothing. In a rage, Deloi turned on the darkspawn and called up the full and impressive extent of his power. The earth turned against the beasts and the air filled with lightning. The plants and roots throughout the ground began snatching victims up into the air or down into the ground as Del turned to face the emissary. Before the darkspawn knew what was happening, it was surrounded by glyphs of all sorts and held at the elven mage's mercy. Summoning his extensive knowledge of Creation magic, Del conjured a murder of crows and launched them upon the tainted creature and watched with sick satisfaction as they tore the beast to pieces before dissipating once more. To make a long story short, Del turned his attentions to the decimation of all of the darkspawn attackers. Even when his mana reserves began to dwindle, he refused to stop. Even when the last surviving monsters attempted to flee, he didn't quit. He refused to cease his assault until every one of them was dead, himself included... And that's when his vision went black and he summarily lost consciousness. When he awoke, it was to the tender care of a very gruff and intimidating Grey Warden who's team had tracked the darkspawn horde through the Deep Roads. They had happened upon the scene of carnage only a short time after Del's passing out and had begun tending to him as soon as possible. With great regret, the Warden leader told Del that he was the only survivor they had found. With nowhere left to go and nothing left to lose, Del turned his eyes to his future. He gathered what he had left, mostly a few pieces of clothing and his father's ironbark staff, named 'Dream of the Dales', and informed the Wardens that they had a new member. The Warden's were incredulous at first, but when they considered the havoc Del had obviously wreaked upon their hated enemy, they reconsidered and decided to at least put the elf through the Joining. Naturally, Del survived the process, but he would never forget the physical pain it caused him. Initially stationed in a small Grey Warden compound in Rivain, Del moved through the ranks quickly, quickly enough to be considered for the position of Warden-Commander of Rivain. Largely a ceremonial title considering the small number of Wardens stationed in the country, Del turned the promotion down in favor of investigating curious rumors originating in Ferelden concerning intelligent darkspawn of all things... Appearance The first thing most people notice about Del is his eccentric style, particularly the way he dresses and styles his hair. His clothes are a combination of cultural styles and he tends to wear a lot at once, much to his own amusement. His fair hair though, light blond with streaks of light, mahogany brown, is kept at a mid-neck length and perpetually spiky. In the back, he has three separate braids that are longer than the rest of his hair. Each braid stands for a particular event in Del's life. The first braid commemorates Del's mastering of his first spell. The second signifies his acceptance by the clan as their First and the third braid is for his joining the Wardens. Beyond these aesthetic choices though, Del has relatively handsome features. His choice of hair styles and his bright clothing tend to make him look younger than he actually is and his generally unperturbed and upbeat attitude is reflected in his constantly glowing features; another secret to maintaining a youthful appearance. Physically, his skin is a nicely tanned hue and his eyes, always alight with life, are a staggering green color, like that of the finest jade. At first glance, he doesn't seem to be worth much in the sense of physical fitness. He's small and rather skinny, even lanky, but with the litheness common to those of his race. In reality though, his small frame is all muscle thanks to his life first among the Dalish and then the Wardens. He could hold his own in a scrap fight, easily. Always a bit eccentric when it came to his clothing, Deloi doesn't wear robes, but he also refuses to wear the standard Grey Warden suite. Instead, he wears a colorful amalgamation of clothing from many different cultures all over Thedas. Some of them he collected personally while others he found while perusing random markets and bazaars. On anyone else, his clothing would appear garish, but on him they simply accent his other eccentric tastes. His favorite pair of boots, knee-high and black leather, were enchanted to increase his attack speed and defense by enhancing his reflexes and motor skills. He wears a sleeveless over-robe that is laced with magical runes to enhance his spellpower, mana regeneration, and nature resistance. Deloi also wears a light blue sash made of some unknown material from Antiva City that enhances his defense and dodge chance by boosting his awareness of his own surroundings. Personality Deloi, or Del to his friends, is a pretty upbeat guy despite his difficult past. His caregiver raised him to always have a good outlook and to keep his eyes on the horizon as opposed to what's behind him. These lessons keep him from brooding on the terrible things that have happened to him over the years and they help him to aid others in the same way. He can't leave someone to suffer, whether from physical wounds or emotional trauma. If he sees someone in pain, he feels a deep need to help them regardless of the consequences. This attitude even extends to his own enemies. He'd rather stop a fight or incapacitate an opponent as opposed to killing someone, no matter what their crime. He always sees the best in people and he works hard to bring the good out in them. No one is beyond redemption... His good, friendly nature evaporates entirely when it comes to darkspawn. They are tainted creatures, not men, and he treats them as such. Of course, these views are actively being called into question, much to his own shock. With the rumored advent of intelligent darkspawn, Del finds himself questioning whether the creatures share the same redeemable qualities that everyone else possesses. If they do... Then he has no idea how he'll be able to reconcile such a discovery with his job as a Warden. Del's belief in the good of every individual also extends to humans and blood mages. He'd never dream of judging a book by its cover. Human's and maleficarum have their own reasons for what they do and some are simply less noble than others. Some humans might honestly believe it necessary to assault Dalish clans passing through their area just as some mages might believe blood magic to be a required tool in their continued survival. Just because someone's reason for doing something doesn't appeal to you, that doesn't give you the right to hate them all indiscriminately. It should come as no surprise that Del hates racial slurs of any kind including 'shemlen'. This attitude does not extend to organizations, particularly religious ones. Deloi has witnessed and heard tale of many atrocities committed in the name of some radical belief, beliefs and events that tend to be personified and justified by large orders or gatherings of people. In fact, Del tends to look poorly on any form of biased control including, but certainly not limited to, monarchies, religious orders, and political groups. All of these things tend to get out of hand and cause more strife than they would be able to solve, the Chantry being a prime example. Abilities Del has always felt a strong connection to nature and the forces of life, even for a Dalish elf. This preturnatural affinity lent itself to the study of Creation magic admirably and showed itself in the particular choices of spells Del has made over his life. Always one for discussion long before violence, Deloi mastered the use of glyphs early on, particularly paralyzing and repulsing glyphs. He has also managed to develope special glyphs with the ability to induce sleep or quickened healing in any who come near them. Perhaps though, his most notable power is his ability to conjure something from seemingly nothing. A master of creating, Del can summon swarms of stinging, biting insects or flocks of murderous birds. He can also create flammable grease and terrible, burning acids. His favorite thing though is the conjuring of wisps, one of which he almost always has with him at any given moment. They're useful and friendly and Del likes friendly, after all. Keeper As might be expected, Deloi is fully trained in the use of, and quite gifted with, Keeper magic. Being an entirely nature-based form of magic, Del excelled in its use and mastery. Able to sense and control plants and the roots beneath the earth, he is capable of turning even a simple garden into a dangerous weapon. As a special union between his mastery over Creation and Keeper magic, Del possess the rare ability to create and control Sylvans. Normally wild beings made through the unwitting possession of trees by lost spirits, Del creates them by summoning wisps to inhabit the trees surrounding him. The wisps are docile spirits possessing the lowest intelligence, so Del is able to easily control the resultant Sylvan's through his mastery over the natural world thanks to his Keeper magic. Of course, such a performance of magic takes a number of precious minutes and the possibility of losing control over these creations is always there, so Del uses this ability sparingly. Shapeshifter Del learned the arts of shapeshifting from his father who had learned it from his mother, the former Keeper of their old clan. An ancient magical art that had been passed down through their family, Del has found many uses for the ability to take on the shape of another creature. His first shape was that of a hummingbird, small and fast, perfect for quick escapes or reconnaissance missions. He then learned to take on the form of a swift, one of the fastest fliers in the animal kingdom. Recently, Del learned to take on the form of an eagle-owl, a more combat oriented form than his first two. Did anyone ever mention how much Del loves birds...? Recent Events Most recently, Del travelled to Wiesshaupt to meet with the First Warden. The main of topic of discussion was the past run-in with intelligent darkspawn ten years ago in Amaranthine and the discovery, and subsequent destruction of, an ancient Grey Warden prison in the Vimmarck Mountains. While the First Warden refused to disclose exactly was being held in that prison, he did insinuate that it might lead to yet another sudden advent of intelligent darkspawn, otherwise known as Disciples. Following this meeting, Deloi accepted a new mission: travel to Ferelden and investigate the events surrounding the Architect from a decade ago. Thought such a mission should be a simple task, the disappearance of Warden-Commander Adrian Reinhard just after his final confrontation with the Architect and Mother suggests that nothing to do with these creatures is simple. Relationships Elva Elva was the Serana clan's medicinal healer. Usually though, she went above and beyond that simple title. Instead of healing only physical maladies, she did all she could to heal the emotional and mental wounds that any in her clan suffered. She often counceled the clan elders and even the Keepers of her time. Her advice and wisdom was legendary amongst the Dalish clans of Rivain as was her desire for peace between her people and the humans of Thedas. This was a goal she championed above all others. When Del's mother passed, Elva became a mother and grandmother to him. When his father found it impossible to pay him the proper attention, as he often did, Elva stepped in and gave Del all of her time. When she was busy aiding someone, Deloi was her assistant. When she required something that she was unable to get herself, Del gladly collected it for her. It was from Elva that he learned all that he knows about herbalism, how to survive in the wilderness, and... birds! Both Elva and Del shared a special love of birds and when he began his training as a shapeshifter, his first form was that of a hummingbird, Elva's favorite. Her death was the hardest thing Del has ever had to deal with, even more so than that of his father and his mother before that. Elva taught him to be good and kind, to mend the wounds and emotional hurts of those around him. She is largely responsible for his good nature and ever-present smile and her death very nearly undid all of it... Aldnon There was a time when Del's father adored him as any parent would their child, but when Deloi's mother died, Aldnon changed completely. He became aloof and hard to understand, he became focused on the clan to the exclusion of all else, including his own son. In fact, he largely ignored Del all the way up until his son's magic revealed itself. When that happened, Aldnon invested himself entirely in Del's training in order to ensure that the clan would have a Keeper upon his eventual death. This sudden increase in attention and new found commonality served to somewhat repair the damage caused by the earlier years of neglect. Del came to respect his father even if he never could say the words 'I love you' and mean them. 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